


The words you don't say

by Carola_dl



Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M, Helena's POV, LIam's POV, Willow's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 12:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12681492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carola_dl/pseuds/Carola_dl
Summary: So that morning, when she found him in his bedroom, sitting in a chair and looking at the sand clock with an absent expression – She asked him about his worries and he answered.(Tumblr Prompt: They're already king and queen and are solving some trouble that people present to them. And the royal family notice how good they are as a team.)





	The words you don't say

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I have to admit I have deviated A LOT from the prompt - Sorry, I can't help it! I hope you guys still like it. Also, it can be a little bit confusing at first and Robert seems like an asshole in one scene - but he has his reasons! Enjoy the read!

**The words you don’t say**

 

Robert’s silence was Willow’s most formidable enemy.

It soared over their bittersweet life, taking her husband away from her and locking him inside his own mind. Sometimes, she felt grateful that Robert kept her separated from his demons, but other times - those days when she felt strong and invincible instead of weak - she resented that it was so easy for him to leave her behind. She wanted to step into his mind, read his fears and offer him relief.

So that morning, when she found him in his bedroom, sitting in a chair and looking at the sand clock with an absent expression – She asked him about his worries and he answered.

They shared their worries, as queens and kings do.

+++

Dinnertime at the palace was always a tense affair and Willow’s addition to the table hadn’t changed that fact. Helena was usually happy to carry all the weight of the conversation, sharing it with Willow from time to time.

The animosity between the brothers hadn’t withered and they were still blatantly ignoring each other’s presence, even when they were sitting around the same table.

“I know the military’s parade is a horribly boring affair, but the king of England has always honored it with his presence. Your father never missed it.” Helena said, between sips of wine.

“I am well aware of my responsibilities,” Robert said with a curt tone. “I will be there.”

“ _We_ will be there,” Willow said, trying to force an excited smile.

Liam rolled his eyes, frustrated by that _we_ that had united his brother and his best friend in such a ‘sacred bond’. He didn’t believe the love story they had sold to the press and was just waiting for their masks to fall off. They couldn’t play this farce forever. Eleanor, at his side, put a hand on his arm – telling him without words to calm down.

“No.” Robert answered, without further explanation. “You don’t need to come.”

Willow didn’t look surprised, but she looked defiant and even angry. She held Robert’s stare – a feat that not many people could accomplish.

“Don’t be absurd,” Helena chastised her older son, “She needs to be there, the people want to see her.”

Willow nodded effusively, “If I don’t go, they will think we aren’t a united front. I’m the queen, so I will be there, next to you.”

Robert took the napkin to his lips. He cleaned his mouth slowly, too slowly, and then: “And I’m the king of England. You will do as I say.”

In an instant, it was as if the oxygen had left the room and they were all asphyxiating. Robert continued eating, ignoring the charged atmosphere, and the other three royal faces looked at Willow with bewilderment.

Willow clenched her fists around the silverware and looked at Robert with a fierce stare, challenging him to look back at her – but he ignored her. Willow took a deep breath to calm her nerves and stood up.

“Excuse me. I’m not hungry anymore.” Willow said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. Robert ignored her. Helena, Liam and Eleanor nodded at her, still surprised.

Willow turned around and with measured steps, left the room.

Liam broke the uncomfortable silence, “What’s wrong with you?” He asked his brother, with the feral anger that had taken residence inside him during the last months. He stood up and left the dining room through the same door Willow had used.

Eleanor shook her head, “Why is Liam the one running after your wife when you were the one that offended her, Robert?”

Robert sighed, exhaling his exhaustion. Finally, he stood up as well and left the room. Eleanor rolled her eyes and muttered: ‘boys’.

+++

Standing in front of her open door, Liam realized he didn’t have words of comfort. Every time he tried to make Willow see Robert’s real face, she dismissed his arguments. He knew she wasn’t in love with Robert – she couldn’t be – but then, why did she never hear his advice? Weren’t they friends anymore?

She was sitting in her bed, as silent as he had never seen her before and oddly, for a second, her stance reminded him of Robert’s.

She had tears in her eyes, for Robert, for what that fucking asshole had said. Liam took a step towards her and it was in that moment when she realized he was there, next to her. She tried to clean her tears but it was too late – He had already seen them.

“He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

She nodded, but her eyes didn’t seem to agree with him. “Liam, I’m not in the mood for…”

“What he said…” Liam tried to console her but his words died when he saw Willow standing and taking a step away from the bed.

“Liam, leave. _Please_.” She hugged herself and turned around, with her back to him.

A voice behind Liam seemed to agree, “You’ve heard her. Leave. I want to talk to _my wife_ alone.” Liam turned around and looked at Robert, who was standing under the doorframe. Liam hated every time he used the word ‘wife’ to refer to her, and he was sure he used it to torture him.

Liam shook his head, “I don’t think she wants to talk to you either.”

Robert ignored him and walked towards Willow, stopping just next to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned around, facing him. Liam was surprised to see how her anger dissipated in an instant as she took an unconscious step to be closer to him.

Liam took a deep breath and left the room – He couldn’t understand their relationship. He couldn’t accept what he couldn’t understand and he doubted they understood it themselves.

+++

“Don’t ever say that to me again,” Willow said, standing her ground. “We should be in this together, especially now…”

“I’m sorry if I offended you but…”

“Don’t. I know why you said it.” Willow said. He nodded, she nodded – and then, again the silence. But this time it was different because this silence didn’t take him away from her – quite the opposite, their eyes were connected by an invisible energy. Maybe it was the words they weren’t saying.

She kissed the corner of his mouth, feeling suddenly brave.

“What did the last one say?” Willow asked, standing close to him.

“It doesn’t matter.” He said, confirming what she already knew: there had been 'a last one' since their last conversation.

Willow laughed, bitterly. “It matters.” She said, firm but trembling. “It may happen during the parade, right?”

“Don’t give credence to…” She interrupted Robert with a kiss, passionate and consuming as if she was trying to devour the words from his mouth.

There was a fear inside her that she couldn’t understand, so she kissed and caressed and touched – and she didn’t stop, not even when they both were on her bed, their clothes discarded at the feet of the bed, their skin sweaty, their breath erratic…

No, she didn’t stop, not even when her legs imprisoned his hips and she felt him shaking against her breasts. She didn’t stop, not until she could feel him deep inside her – and then a sigh and a plea:

“I won’t go if you don’t go.” She whispered in his ear but she only received his moans as an answer. “Promise me.”

He didn’t.

+++

Helena was aware of her own nature, of her selfishness, of her multiple appetites – She had never been the fairy tale queen England had always wanted and now, while she looked at her daughter-in-law, she thought with pride that Willow Moreno could be that well-loved queen. Helena enjoyed thinking that discovering Willow’s potential was, in part, thanks to her – Although, of course, Robert deserved most of the credit.

“You’re too silent, darling,” Helena said, offering a cup of tea to Willow.

Willow accepted it and showed a smile that couldn’t hide her sadness. “I suppose Robert’s silent nature rubbed off on me.”

“That would really be a calamity,” Helena said, with a well-humored smile. “Are you two still fighting?”

Willow’s cheek turned pink and Helena knew the answer before she formed the words, “No, we’re fine.”

Willow took a sip of her tea, adopting a meditative expression. It was evident that she wanted to say something, that there was something inside her that needed answers or counsel, so Helena waited patiently. She didn’t have to wait much:

“Do you have any advice for me?”

“For the queen? Or for my son’s wife?”

“For both.”

Helena nodded, “Respect your king,” Helena said, surprising Willow with her seriousness. “I didn’t always do it with Simon.” She paused for a second, not even sure if she was feeling grief for her late husband or regret for all the times she had disrespected him. “About my son… I have to admit it isn’t easy to understand how his mind works at times. Does he treat you well?”

“Yes.” Willow answered and Helena could see how she got lost in her memories as if she were trying to catalog them. “He’s too serious sometimes, even when he jokes, and intense… but I think I like that side of him.” Helena smiled at her, encouraging her to continue, “But I don’t think we’re a team yet or even real partners, sometimes it feels like we’re getting there and other times… it feels too far away.”

“He admires you. I know he doesn’t always show it but he does. I know my son.” Helena drank his tea. “He doesn’t trust a lot of people, sometimes he doesn’t even trust _me._ It isn’t easy to earn his trust, but if you do…” Helena smiled, knowing no more words were necessary.

Willow nodded.

+++

Fear stirred inside her stomach like a small insect – and despite the fear, she was decided to do _it,_ even when she couldn’t really understand why. Willow was standing in front of her closet, looking at the most beautiful and expensive dresses she had ever owned. A silly question plagued her mind: _What dress would you wear to your death? And to his death?_

“Willow?” A voice behind her said. “Can I come in?”

She turned around and looked at Liam, who was standing outside her bedroom as if he didn’t think he had the right to step into her bedroom. Willow hid her fear where Liam couldn’t see it, and smiled.

“Yes, I’m just choosing the dress for the military parade.”

“You’re going?” Liam asked, surprised. Willow nodded, “Does Robert know you’re going?”

Willow shrugged, “If he doesn’t know it, he will soon.” She felt guilty for the anger in her voice, when she understood perfectly why he didn’t want her there, so she added, “I am sure he assumes it.”

Liam nodded, not really knowing what else to say to that.

“I know we’re not the best of friends anymore but… for old time’s sake, can I ask you a question?” Liam asked. His eyes indicated that this was important for him. Very important.

Willow, surprised, nodded.

“Do you love Robert?”

Willow felt her heart jumping inside her chest. She wasn’t expecting that question but she tried to be as honest as she could, “I don’t know.”

Liam shook his head, obviously disappointed by her uncommitted answer. He was turning around when Willow decided to confide in him – as she had done so many times when they were friends.

“I remember when I heard for the first time that Prince Robert was dead.” Willow smiled but there was no happiness in that smile, only sadness and even self-deprecating hate. “I thought: ‘Oh, that’s sad. What a tragedy, he was so young!’ That’s it. Then I changed channels and started watching the first movie that caught my eye.”

She knew Liam’s memories of that day were very different. The grief, the chaos, the fear… so she felt guilty, even when she knew her feelings didn’t make sense.

“That’s understandable. You didn’t know him then.”

“Yes. It was only a year ago, right? A year and a half, maybe?” Willow shook her head. “And now the idea of him dying terrifies me and it makes me feel like I am suffocating. Why? Does that mean I love him? Does that mean I fell in love with him without even realizing it? Well, I don’t know. That’s the truth. _I don’t know.”_

Liam didn't say anything and Willow felt like she didn't have any strength left. She turned around and picked a blue dress. She remembered Robert complimented her on it once.

“I just know I don’t want to lose him. I don’t want him to die tomorrow and if that happens…”

“He’s not going to die,” Liam said with a firm voice that for a second filled her with hope. “He’s a survivor. Don’t forget he already died once and he came back to us.”

Willow took a deep breath and tried to contain their secrets - Robert's and hers - inside, but the fear she had been trying to hide spilled them out: “He received death threat letters.”

“What?” Liam asked and the surprise in his voice was a balm for her.

“Most of them only said: `You’re going to die soon’. But the last one mentioned the parade. There will be a lot of security, of course, and I hope that’s enough to prevent it.”

After several tense seconds, Liam asked: “Why didn’t you tell me?” She could only answer with her silence and he understood its meaning. “You both thought I was behind it? That I would do something like this to my own brother?”

“No, I didn’t believe it and I told him so. But I can’t blame him for thinking like that, can I? After all, you haven’t been yourself lately. You've been behaving more like Cyrus.”

The silence grew tense between them again while Liam tried to understand and accept the accusations. Finally, he nodded. “He will be fine. We will make sure of it.”

+++

Helena, Eleanor and Liam looked how Willow joined her husband at the entrance of the palace. He was dressing in his military clothing and she had chosen the blue dress. They didn’t seem to exchange any words. She just held the tips of his fingers, as if she just needed to feel that he was there. Robert grabbed her whole hand, squeezing it in a friendly gesture.

“They’re a good team,” Helena said, observing them. Liam, against his own wishes, nodded.

“Why do you say so?” Eleanor asked.

“Well, she makes him…sweater, softer, more considerate,” Helena said and Liam couldn’t contradict her because he had seen once how his only presence made her feel calmer. “And he gives her confidence.”

The gates opened, and the room was illuminated with the bright light from outside. Robert and Willow stepped outside, their hands still entwined. Liam looked at them in silence and a bad feeling tore his insides, like a premonition his fear and guilt had created. 

For the time in months, he thought _Long Live The King_ without irony.

**Author's Note:**

> And... The End! Was that confusing? I hope not! Reviews are always welcome. They give me life!


End file.
